Snowpiercer: The Complete Second Season

Disclaimer: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided us with a free copy of this Blu-ray/DVD that we reviewed in this blog post. The opinions we share are our own.

“In season two, an entirely new power struggle emerges, causing a dangerous rift as people are divided between their loyalty to Layton and to Mr. Wilford, who has a new train, new technology and a game plan that keeps everyone guessing. While Layton battles Wilford for the soul of Snowpiercer, Melanie leads the charge on a shocking new discovery that could change the fate of humanity.”

In the first season, Snowpiercer laid the groundwork for a very entertaining show, filled with social-economic commentary in the midst of the apocalypse, as the only thing that has survived on the planet due to a rapid freeze is the passengers of a train traveling across the globe in a perpetual engine that keeps everyone on board alive. While the train was dictated by a strict class-system in which higher class passengers were given preferential treatment, amenities, and over-all rights for seven years from the date of departure, a group of rebels lead by Andre Layton (Daveed Diggs) and others tired of the oppression, took the train from Melanie Cavill (Jennifer Connelly), who had imposed the rules and regulations set forth by Joseph Wilford (Sean Bean). Originally left behind by Melanie and thought to be dead, Wilford’s sudden appearance in Big Alice, another perpetual motion train but much smaller, has divided reactions among the crew, some dreading his arrival and tyrannical rule, others embracing the order he represents.

Snowpiercer finds its stride in the second season, with the biggest shift being the introduction of the main antagonist, Joseph Wilford. In Season 1, good guy/bad guy lines were a bit blurred, as you have a hard time faulting Melanie for her actions to keep the train running along with keeping the order and balance of life on board to ensure the survival of the human race. Mr. Wilford doesn’t care about the human race, he cares about himself and his pleasures, and this new direction in the show takes a dark and frightening path that you can really find parallels in our own culture today, such as the use of propaganda and dis-information to make people believe false narratives. These parallels don’t end just at the refusal to believe scientific facts, but at the cult-like reverence that is held for Wilford by some of the more naïve. It is absolutely obvious that this man is a cancer, who finds pleasure in the break down and control of those around him, whose selfishness will be the destruction of humanity. This doesn’t deter his most devoted followers who believe he can do no wrong. With the introduction of Wilford, we’re able to explore some of mankind’s most basic instincts, and see which of the characters on the show are swayed by his charm, or simply choose the side which guarantees the highest chance of survival. Character traits aside, Sean Bean is an absolutely fantastic antagonist, and as much as I loathe the character, I enjoy hating him. He gives the show a new depth that wasn’t there before.

While I didn’t much care for Daveed Diggs in the first season, his character of Layton has dramatically improved. A little less self-righteous than the first season, I think the writing for his character and the actor himself have found a good rhythm that makes Layton more enjoyable to watch. However, by far the most surprising change is how much I’m liking the head of Hospitality character Ruth Wardell (Alison Wright). Her character is one that probably sees the most change throughout the second season, and it’s nice to be able to root for her. There are all kinds of other interesting characters introduced this season from Big Alice, and the differences between how each one was run and the resources available means drastically different mentalities of those characters. How the two cars will ultimately live together is one of the main subjects of the second season, and the power struggle between Wilford and those that would live democratically.

Here’s an episode breakdown:

1. The Time of Two Engines – Mr. Wilford has arrived. And as this new threat rattles Snowpiercer to its core, Melanie makes a move that can’t be undone.
2. Smoulder to Life – An exchange is made between the two trains, but a greater revelation might be just over the horizon.
3. A Great Odyssey – Melanie embarks on her most dangerous mission yet, while Layton reckons with his personal choices.
4. A Single Trade – As the Big Alice crew are granted shore leave on Snowpiercer, Layton and Wilford have differing opinions on the future.
5. Keep Hope Alive – Layton and Miss Audrey make a risky play for Big Alice, but Wilford has his own plans.
6. Many Miles from Snowpiercer – Melanie fights for survival in treacherous conditions, vying to do what others before her could not.
7. Our Answer for Everything – Layton and Till investigate the murders. Wilford leads Miss Audrey down a dark path.
8. The Eternal Engineer – An engineering catastrophe on Snowpiercer forces Layton to make a difficult choice, one that might cost him everything.
9. The Show Must Go On – Those who are close with Layton grow anxious to learn their fates; Josie tests her newfound ability.
10. Into the White – As the train approaches Melanie’s retrieval point, Layton leads a furious attempt to try and pick her up but not without some sacrifices.

Video

Snowpiercer: The Complete Second Season is presented in 1080p High Definition Widescreen 1.78:1. The show looks exceptional on Blu-ray, very clear and detailed. The show can host a wide variety of different settings, despite taking place almost entirely on a train. The low-level lights of the tail section, the clean, pristine white of first class, and the blinding, icy remains of the world they race through outside; this transfer is able to provide superb picture throughout it all. There seems to be much more CGI involved this season than the previous, with extra locations. This all looks very good on Blu-ray, and a main reason to pick this up, even if you’ve seen it on television.

Audio

The audio is presented DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. The audio track throughout the series sounds excellent, able to provide some clear and concise dialogue through the center channel in combination with some robust and heavy-action sequences that come through the surrounds. I still really much enjoy the opening theme, which extends to all of the original music from the show.

Special Features

• The Great Engineer: Bringing the Mysterious Mr. Wilford Aboard – Go behind-the-scenes with the cast for an in-depth exploration of the god-like Mr. Wilford as brought to life by Sean Bean.
• Season 2 Overview – An exciting and exclusive look at the second season with the cast.
• Behind The Character: Mr. Wilford – The cast discusses the mythical character of Mr. Wilford played by Sean Bean.
• Season 2 Roundtable – Take a seat with the cast and crew as they have a round table discussion about the show’s characters and story.
• Daveed Diggs Season 1 Recap – The exciting first season of Snowpiercer is recapped through the POV of its main character Layton (Daveed Diggs).
• Optional English SDH subtitles

Snowpiercer: The Complete Second Season has dramatically improved upon the already exceptional first season. TNT has continued to do this right in a lot of ways, and provides an even more entertaining next chapter in the Snowpiercer saga. From the riveting ending of this season, I for one cannot wait to see what’s in store in a few short months for the third.